WNBA legend’s offseason proposal promises another Angel Reese leap

Angel Reese’s sophomore season had its ups and downs. On one hand, she missed 14 games due to injuries and is now involved in trade rumors after openly criticizing the Sky’s front office. On the other hand, Reese was named an All-Star for the second year in a row, averaged a double-double, led the league in rebounds per game, grew as a passer, and notably improved her efficiency. 

Reese’s inefficient scoring, especially around the basket, was one of the main weaknesses in her game during her rookie season. A successful Unrivaled debut and an offseason that included workouts with WNBA legend Lisa Leslie promised an instant leap in that department. However, it took Reese some time to up her efficiency in the W. In the beginning of the season, Reese struggled, regularly shooting below 35% from the field. Those struggles may have simply been a result of a wrist injury she suffered during Unrivaled. Later in the season, she rarely shot below 40% from the field, making an obvious leap. 

Reese won’t play in Unrivaled this winter, but her offseason still promises the foundations for another leap. Lisa Leslie recently appeared on Good Follow with Ros Gold-Onwude and hinted at another offseason of working with Reese. 

“I did talk to Angel about having some more time with her in the gym, working on more offense,” Leslie said. “I think just being stronger offensively and being able to finish and score more would really help her game.”

Lisa Leslie is the perfect mentor for Angel Reese

Angel Reese is one of the best young bigs in the game. Lisa Leslie was in that same position in the 90s with one major difference: there was no WNBA when she started or finished her college career. Leslie played for USC between 1990 and 1994. The first WNBA season took place in 1997 with Leslie as one of the league’s first big stars. Leslie played for the Los Angeles Sparks for 12 years. Over that time she won two titles and Finals MVP awards, three regular-season MVPs, and three All-Star Game MVPs. She was also an eight-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year and was named to 16 All-WNBA and All-Defensive teams. 

Much like Reese, Leslie was one of the top rebounders in the game and frequently averaged a double-double. Leslie was a much stronger scorer than Reese has been in her first two seasons, though. She never averaged fewer than 15 points per game, a mark Reese hasn’t reached quite yet. So, Reese can still learn plenty from Leslie, who averaged 48.2% percent shooting on two-point field goals for her career. 

Leslie and Reese aren’t just on similar paths on the court, though. They can also connect through some of their off-court interests. For example, Leslie modelled during her WNBA career, and Reese just walked the runway in the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Reese is already an icon outside of basketball with her involvement in the fashion and entertainment world. Leslie is someone who can relate to both sides of Reese’s career. 

Working with Leslie until the start of the next WNBA season won’t just give Reese the type of mentor she hasn’t had with the Sky, but should also prepare her for another improved season.